


The Azure

by overthejune



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Captain Dream, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Serious, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Fanart, M/M, Mermaids, Minecraft IRL, Oneshot, POV GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Pining, Pirates, SAILOR DREAM TEAM, Sailor AU, Sapnap has an accent ;), Shipwrecks, Smart boy Georgie, Somewhat, Unrequited Lust, mer-folks, swinging on ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29730921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overthejune/pseuds/overthejune
Summary: "You need somethin' boy?" the man with the mountain-like build rumbled."Ah, I was told to report here before sunset," George explained cautiously, weighing his options for escape. "By a man with long blond hair," he added.The pirate-man rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his thick hair, tipping his head back to holler into the rigging. "Dream, ye prick! Ya did it again! I thought we agreed that I could look 'em over first!"For a moment there was no response, nothing but the wind through the furled sails, then a ripple of laughter echoed from somewhere in the vicinity of the crow's nest. A moment later a familiar blond man swung down and landed a few feet away, grinning unrepentantly.He was still wearing the skirt-thing."Sorry, Sap," the blond said, though he didn't sound remotely remorseful. "It just kinda happened."--It had been his dream to sail on the ever majestic ship,The Azure,and after an odd encounter with a tall, blond man, it seemed to have come true. But did George receive more out of the deal than he'd hoped for? Whowasthe peculiar Captain of the ship?
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 242





	The Azure

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, good readers! This is, once again, an original slash-turned-dnf fanfic!
> 
> Originally, I had pretty much given up after I lost the inspiration. But then, as if God himself had intervened, I stumbled upon an _adorable_ art of Dream and George, and then I couldn't help myself (art tagged below, we don't want any spoilers ;))
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_Dear Ma,_

_Sherivie is turning out to be a pretty nice place, for a port town, but I still can't wait to get out on the open seas. Everyone I've worked for around here wishes I would stay, and I've had several offers from Ships' Mates, but I'm still biding my time. Yesterday one of the sailors just brought in news that the Azure was sighted just three islands west of here. Sherivie is the only large port for days, so I hope...Well. Wish me luck. If my next letter is a little late, it'll mean that I finally caught my dream._

_G._

George stood on the dock, gazing out at the harbor. There were a number of ships currently anchored, some large, some small, but only one of interest to him. The _Azure_. It was smaller than most merchant vessels, though larger than pretty much everything else, and of a sleek design that was unique to that ship. Custom-built. Rumors often cropped up that this or that rich merchant or noble had attempted to purchase the design and been shot down. The _Azure_ was one-of-a-kind.

She was both the most noticeable ship in port and the least. From bow to stern the _Azure_ was blue, from a dark, ocean blue at her keel to the light, sky blue of her sails. Those that had seen her up close had been baffled by the tiny, iridescent shapes fastened across the entire hull that provided the colors. Shells, one rumor conjectured, but no shells that any of the seamen in Sherivie had ever seen.

The harbormaster's son had once ventured that perhaps they came from the far southern waters. New things came up north from there all the time.

Wherever they'd come from, their like had never again been seen. Unfortunately, some merchants had been known to say, for when the _Azure_ was under full sail she was extremely difficult to spot on the open seas. Any pirate wishing to plunder that gem would have a tide of a time trying to see her at all.

But for all that, it was not the unusual cosmetic aspect of the ship that had made her famous. The _Azure_ was the only ship on the seas who could boast to never having lost a man. Not to battle, to weather, or sickness. When a sailor left the _Azure_ , it was on his own two feet and with often enough bits of shine and sparkle to settle down for life.

In essence, she was a sailor's dream.

She was George's dream too. He'd been eleven when he'd first heard of her, the wild rumors of the port coming to their small village. In that moment he'd fallen in love with her and determined to one day sail upon her. His whole life had been in anticipation of such an event; sheer obsessive determination coupled with a natural skill and intelligence had allowed him to hone himself into a man who could do anything with perfect ease.

And now, there she was. He'd never been able to determine just how the _Azure_ took on new sailors; no rumors had ever sprung forth of hiring fairs or backroom deals or much of anything. Everyone knew what happened to a sailor _leaving_ the ship, the parties thrown by the one living two towns over were almost famous, but there'd never been so much as a _whisper_ of how one managed to get hired in the first place. Not even from those ex-crewmembers.

So, he planned to just wait until someone came ashore and inquired, hopefully without sounding as desperate as he felt. Thus why he was currently parked on a seldom-used dock two berths away from where the _Azure_ was moored and letting his thoughts run in circles.

* * *

Not precisely a soothing morning, or afternoon as he was fairly certain he'd heard the dockhands go off for their noon luncheon not long ago. Still, sooner or later someone would come ashore, and then he'd get his chance to-

"Something wrong with the ships?"

George started and barely managed to stifle a scream, though a small squeak emerged anyway. He spun to stare at the man who'd managed to sneak up behind him completely undetected; not an easy feat, but he had been a little distracted.

"What?" he managed, frowning as the man's words finally registered. "No, no, nothing wrong. This is the first time I've ever seen the _Azure_."

The man stood a head or so taller than George and was considerably perfectly slender, though where his clothes didn't cover was enough trim, compact muscle to suggest that he could give a good accounting of himself. Blue-green eyes. Wavy, almost blond hair. Long. Much longer than anyone in or around Sherivie. Had he come in on one of the ships in port?

But then, he didn't know many sailors who wore _skirts_. Maybe he was a merchant of some sort...

"Hmm, yes, she is rather pretty, isn't she?" the man agreed, turning his head to regard the ship and giving George time to remember what they'd been talking about.

"I've been waiting my whole life to see her," George admitted quietly, restoring his gaze to the blue-green ship. "She's beautiful."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blond man turn to regard him quizzically, long hair rippling sinuously in the wind. "Your whole life?" he asked. "Why?"

George turned to face him again. "She's the greatest ship in the seas. One day, I'm going to sail on her," he replied emphatically.

The blond man laughed. "I hear she's very selective in who she takes for crew. What makes you think they'll take you?"

"I've spent my life getting ready for it," George stated firmly. "I know everything one can know about sailing without actually having sailed, I'm fluent in six languages and tolerable in several more, I've studied with dozens of different merchants of all different kinds of goods..."

The man grinned. "In short, you're a wanna-be supercargo with no experience."

George glared. "Better than those idiots who can't tell their rowlock from their taffrail or their pearls from peas."

"Hmm..." the blond mused, looking him over thoughtfully as he walked in a slow circle around George. "You do have a point there." He stopped, facing George, and grinned again. "Okay then. Grab whatever gear you've got and report to the ship before sunset. We're setting sail then."

He reached and ruffled George's hair, then turned and sauntered off on a lazy course along the docks that would eventually take him to...the...

The _Azure_.

George stared, frozen in place, as the strange blond man made his way back to the _Azure_ 's berth, up the gangplank, and vanished from sight as the bulk of the ship obscured him from view. It was impossible. It had to be a joke. Every man in Sherivie knew of his obsession with the _Azure_. It just had to be a bad prank...

But...if it was not...

He made it back to his bunk in record time. If it wasn't a prank, if the crazy blond hadn't been joking with him, then this was officially the best day of his entire life.

* * *

George stared up the long length of the gangplank at the ship, torn between wondering if he was mad for even considering that this wasn't a complete hoax and noting that the odd shapes responsible for the _Azure_ 's unusual coloring really did look like millions of incredibly tiny seashells. How long had it taken to collect so many, sort them by color hue, then somehow attach them to the ship?

It hurt to think about.

Taking one last, deep breath, brilliant colors of the setting sun behind him, he slowly made his way up the gangplank and stepped onto the ship.

There were at least five sailors insight, with more undoubtedly aloft, and several turned to regard him oddly as he set foot onto the deck. One broke away from what he'd been doing and came over to speak with George. He was an inch or two taller than George and built like a small mountain, with wildly curly black hair, bronzed skin, and more scars than George cared to count. He looked more like he belonged on a pirate ship than on the _Azure_ , particularly considering the flamboyant colors of his clothing.

"You need something, boy?" the man-mountain rumbled, giving George a rather good idea of what a lobster must feel like when confronted with its harvester for the first time.

"Ah, I was told to report here before sunset," George explained cautiously, weighing his options for escape. He was no slouch in a fight, but this man looked like he could trounce George without breaking a sweat.

"By a man with long blond hair," he added.

The pirate-man rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his thick hair, tipping his head back to holler into the rigging. "Dream, ye prick! Ya did it again! I thought we agreed that I could look 'em over first! Quit pickin' up random strays!"

For a moment there was no response, nothing but the wind through the furled sails, then a ripple of laughter echoed from somewhere in the vicinity of the crow's nest. A moment later a familiar blond man swung down and landed a few feet away, grinning unrepentantly.

He was still wearing the skirt-thing.

"Sorry, Sap," the blond said, though he didn't sound remotely remorseful. "It just kinda happened."

The mountain man snorted and rolled his eyes again. "You're incorrigible. Did ye even bother to get his name before ya commandeered him?"

The blond man glanced at George, then smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Er, no?"

The big man sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" He asked rhetorically, looking at George. "So, kid, what's yer name?"

George blinked. "George," he managed, wondering if he'd eaten something that disagreed with him the night before and was hallucinating all of this. It was far too surreal to be actually _happening._

The mountain-man clapped him on the shoulder and jerked a thumb at the slender blond. "Tha's Captain Clay Dream, though most of us just call 'im Dream cause the whole thing's a mouthful. I'm Sapnap, this sea monkey’s First Mate in name only as he never actually lets me do anything."

George blinked, again. "Ah. Well, um, the circumstances of my hiring notwithstanding, it's nice to meet you?"

Captain Dream laughed, slugging his First Mate in the arm. "See, Sap?" he said, "He'll do just fine. You'll see."

Sapnap looked sullen, though resigned. "Yeah, yeah. So, what's he for? We don' need a new deck swab..."

Grinning again in a way that George was quickly coming to realize meant trouble, the Captain replied, "He's going to be our new Supercargo, Sap."

"What?!" Sapnap sputtered. "He's a _kid,_ Dream! Ya can't make a kid the Super!"

"Actually, I'm twenty-four..." George offered.

"See?" Dream said cheerfully, reaching up to tousle Sapnap's hair. "I hate doing the numbers and I know you struggle with it so it's much past the time when we should have had a real Super anyway."

Although Sapnap did not look convinced, he didn't continue to object. Instead, he simply sighed. "Yeah, yeah...C'mon kid, there's a room we been usin' fer storage that I think we can convert to a Super's office..." he muttered, turning and heading off below deck. After a brief, hesitant glance at Captain Dream, George turned and followed.

Well, he was on the _Azure_. His lifelong dream had been fulfilled.

He was surrounded by lunatics.

* * *

"Sapnap?"

The First Mate turned to face him, one hand still lightly resting upon the helm. "Yah?"

"Why does Captain Dream wear a skirt?" George asked. The question had been bugging him his entire first month out on the _Azure_. It seemed incredibly impractical, especially considering how much time Dream spent in the rigging.

Sapnap laughed. "It's not a skirt, kid," he corrected good-humoredly. "It's called a sarong, and it's fairly popular amongst a lot of the southern islands."

George made a face. "Okay, but still..."

The big man laughed again and shook his head. "Nobody knows for sure," he replied with a shrug of his massive shoulders. "I asked him once. He told me he doesn't like to feel confined." Sapnap smirked. "Personally, I think he likes it for the easy access to the important parts."

Fighting a slow burn, George looked away just in time to watch Dream drop slowly out of the rigging. Sapnap followed his gaze, smirk widening as he caught sight of his Captain.

"Well, we can always ask again," he said congenially. "Oi, Dream!"

Dream sauntered over, vaulting the last two stairs and the railing to the quarter deck.

"What's with the dress?" Sapnap asked blandly, dark eyes glimmering.

Dream grinned, leaning back against the rail. "My bits like freedom," he answered, laughing aloud at the expression on George's face. "What?" he asked, "Your bits don't feel the need to be free every now and then?"

Even if he'd had Sapnap's swarthy complexion, George doubted he'd have been able to hide the redness of his face. "Ah, no, not really," he managed.

Dream shrugged, looking him over before grinning lasciviously. "Mmm, too bad," he commented. "Free bits are happy bits. You'll have to tell yours hello for me if you ever let them out for a bit of fresh air." With that, he hopped over the railing again and strode over to one of the crew to ask a question, apparently heedless of the incredulous silence of the two men left behind.

"Y’know he does it to get a reaction, right?" Sapnap asked finally, clearing his throat.

"He got one," George muttered, shaking his head, cheeks set on fire. "He got one."

* * *

While life aboard the _Azure_ was certainly a lot different than how George had originally pictured it, he was slowly beginning to enjoy the differences. The work of a Supercargo could be overwhelming at times without the occasional moment of complete dumbfoundedness that frequently accompanied a 'Dream' moment.

For instance, right now.

They were fairly far south and there was a heatwave going on. Most of the crew had stripped down to the bare essentials; George had almost expected the unpredictable Dream to walk around nude, but apparently, the Captain wasn't quite that odd.

He had, however, managed to produce one of his sarong-skirts that was only _just_ long enough to cover the important parts and was wearing that and not a stitch more.

George had been watching for half the morning, having nothing better to do in the middle of a voyage when all of his books were up-to-date and triple-checked. He'd offered to assist the crew, but with the fair weather and brisk wind they were sailing with, there was really not much for anyone to do.

Dream did not get along well with the heat. He'd been trying to hide in the shadows of the forecastle ever since it had become too hot to stay below. About five minutes ago he'd stalked off in search of something, returning with a large bucket with a rope tied to it. Dream had lowered the bucket down into the water, hauled it up, then dumped the entire thing over his head.

The only thing worse than Dream in an extremely short sarong was a dripping-wet Dream with the aforementioned sarong clinging to his skin.

"Much better," Dream announced, practically bouncing on his way up to the forecastle deck and out along the bowsprit. George wanted to hit his head against something. No one _else_ seemed to see anything wrong with the wet, mini-skirted Captain, glistening water trails winding down the backs of his legs and along his toned calves...

And thinking about it was most definitely not going to help. With a sigh, George sought out his little office to go over the books for a fourth time. Dry lists of numbers were the most boring things in the world and, with any luck, might be able to take his mind off the very curvaceous backside with a slip of brightly-colored material sticking to it.

"SAPNAP!"

George and Sapnap both jerked their heads up as Dream made a near-impossible leap from the crow's nest to the mizzen sail, sliding down the canvas and landing heavily on the deck.

"Hard a-starboard! Ship in distress! All hands, ready emergency supplies, and make sure you're armed," Dream barked, for once looking and sounding like the Captain he was. "Whatever hit that ship may still be in the area, so stay alert."

The crew sprung into action, grabbing the things they'd need and unearthing weaponry from places that George wouldn't have even thought to look in. Sapnap had the ship turned faster than George would have thought possible, face tense, and Dream stared directly ahead of them with an odd, glassy expression.

They were picking up speed, somehow, the sails beginning to sag as they _outstripped the wind_. In almost no time at all, they were upon the sinking wreckage of a large merchant ship, several longboats already in the water. Sapnap pressed a long dagger into George's hand, a similar weapon already tucked into his sash, even as brought the ship to a halt.

"Okay, move!" Sapnap barked, gesturing at the sinking mass. "Anyone not on a boat already, make sure-"

He was interrupted by a loud shout. "Man overboard!"

All three of them darted to the railing, spotting the struggling figure in no time. A child, from the size, and nowhere near any of the lifeboats. George drew in a breath, but before he had time to do anything more than that there was a blur from beside him and a quiet splash a moment later.

The child went under momentarily, then came back up a moment later in Dream's arms. The Captain swam her back to the ship, handing her up to Sapnap before diving back in and vanishing beneath the waves.

"Where's he going?" George asked, grabbing a blanket and wrapping the shivering, hysterical girl up in it.

"T'look for anyone else who might be in the water or still on that sinkin' ship," Sapnap replied distractedly, watching intently as the crew assisted the survivors onto the _Azure_.

George blinked. "That's dangerous! The undertow..."

Sapnap shot him a strained smile. "Don' worry about it. Dream can outswim anyone alive."

"But..."

"Don' worry about it," Sapnap ordered. "Just go help the crew get those people aboard and figure out how long our supplies'll last with the extra mouths so we know if we can make it to our destination or if we're gonna have to detour someplace."

Casting one last anxious glance at the waters below, George went to obey.

* * *

"Hmm? Sapnap, where's the Captain?" George asked, not finding the familiar crown of blond hair on the deck or anywhere in the rigging that he could see.

Sapnap jerked a thumb at the side of the ship. "Went for a swim. Something about washin' off all the people germs..." he answered, grinning.

It had been a long, frustrating, incredibly-obnoxious voyage with the shipwreck survivors to the port of Ardassus. Several of them had turned out to be persons of relative wealth and power who were not in any way accustomed to the cramped quarters of a sailing ship, and doubly so when the ship was not remotely designed to accommodate so many persons all at once.

George was still amazed that as few fights had broken out as there had been, and most of that was due to Dream's incredible patience and amiable personality. Sapnap had hidden up on the deck for most of the voyage rather than risk his volatile temper flaring and George had been sorely tempted to do the same. How Dream had tolerated it all for so long...

Well. They were gone now and apparently Dream was as glad to be rid of them as everyone else. Although the sea wasn't exactly conducive to bathing.

"He goes swimming every time we get into port," George observed with a laugh. "I'm frankly surprised he wasn't wet when he found me in Sherivie."

Sapnap roared in laughter. "Ha! I'm surprised he wasn't too, kid. Dream spends more time in th' water than anyone but the fishes!"

George shook his head. "He should've been born a fish."

Oddly, Sapnap tensed, one hand gripping the helm tightly enough for his knuckles to whiten. "Don' ever say that, George. Clay's not...Dream jus' likes th' water, tha's all," he said firmly, western accent thickening with his discomfort.

George blinked. "I didn't mean anything by it, Sapnap...I was just teasing..."

The big man sighed and relaxed a little, though he still appeared wary. "I know, man. I know. And ye have no way of knowin'..."

George frowned. "Knowing? Knowing what?"

For a moment Sapnap was silent, then he beckoned George closer. "Ya know I'm from the western islands, yeah?" George nodded. "Well, m' grandfather's grandfather saw 'em once. Ship got blown off-course an' ended up way out in the western expanse...that's where they live."

"Where _who_ live, Sapnap?" George asked, confused.

"The mer-folk," Sapnap answered solemnly.

"Mer-folk?" George echoed, "Who are they?"

Sapnap shook his head. "Ye northerners really don' know nothin’, do ya? The mer-folk are half fish. They live under th' water somewhere way out in th' western expanse. Keep to themselves a lot, but they can get real nasty when a ship wanders too far west..."

"Huh," George mused. "Sounds like something someone thought up in his cups," he observed.

Sapnap only shook his head again. "Ne'er mind. I don' expect anyone who's not a westerner to understand."

George shrugged. "Sorry. There are supposed to be dragons out past the eastern isles too, though nobody alive has ever seen them."

"Ha, dragons," Sapnap snorted. "No such thing."

George grinned. "Yeah, well, _they_ believe in the things," he pointed out.

Sapnap eyed him, one eyebrow raised, then laughed. "A'right. You win, George. Now go do something useful with yourself b'fore I throw ya overboard with the Cap'n."

Miming blocking a punch, George complied. Though really, swimming with Dream didn't sound like that horrible of an idea.

Maybe later.

* * *

"Wind's pickin' up," Sapnap announced, frowning at the sky. "Looks like we're in for a storm."

"That reminds me," George mused from where he was sitting on the deck with Dream, going over the profits from their last voyage, "Why don't we have a weather-mage aboard? We could easily afford one..."

Sapnap blinked and gave him an odd look as Dream smothered a laugh.

"...what?" George asked. "Even the smaller merchant ships have at least mediocre weather mages..."

Dream reached out and ruffled George's hair with an amused smile. "Because we don't need one," he explained, bemused.

George eyed both of them, a little bit miffed at the matching expressions Sapnap and Dream both wore. He hated when they did that 'I know something you don’t' thing.

"So, enlighten me," he drooled. "Why don't we need a weather-mage?"

Dream and Sapnap exchanged grins, then Sapnap leaned down to whisper conspiratorially, "Because we have something better."

When nothing more seemed to be forthcoming, George suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and asked, "Such as?"

In response, Dream waved a hand aft of the ship. A moment later a towering wave of water appeared, looming over the stern menacingly. George started. "What the..." When the wave simply hung there, doing nothing, he turned to stare at Dream.

"That's incredible. I didn't think water mages could _get_ that strong!" he exclaimed.

Dream grinned and the water dropped back into the sea where it belonged. "I am something of an oddity," he agreed cheerfully. "But it's rather useful, and it does save us the expense of keeping a weather-mage aboard. Weather mages, in my humble opinion, are rather prissy and high-maintenance."

Sapnap snorted. "That's one way to put it."

George shook his head in amusement at their antics. "So the storm...?" he prodded.

"Not a problem," Dream answered. "If it gets to be too bad I can manipulate the water in it and send it away, though we normally just ride them out. The _Azure_ can handle a little weather."

"Dream..." Sapnap said slowly, frowning, "Maybe you should take a look at this one anyway..."

With a slight, puzzled frown, Dream stood up and followed Sapnap's gaze. "Mm," he commented, "That's odd."

"What's odd?" George asked, getting up as well. "Looks like a storm to me."

"Yeah," Sapnap agreed, "But it's moving wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Dream's eyes narrowed, getting as close to angry as George had ever seen him. "He means someone is controlling it," the blond man said tightly. "Which usually means only one thing. Pirates."

George frowned, watching the storm in question, noting how it did seem to be moving peculiarly now that he was watching for it. "But the _Azure_ can barely be seen...surely we're in no danger..."

"It's not us he's worried about," Sapnap interjected, "It's whoever those pirates are actually after with their little trap."

A slight chill went down George's spine. "You mean there's a ship in there?"

"Two ships," Dream replied flatly. "Sap, hold it steady. I'm about to move the water."

"Got it," Sapnap replied, keeping one hand on the helm as he put two fingers into his mouth and whistled sharply. "All'a ya, prepare for battle!" he roared. "Pirates ahead!"

Once again weapons materialized from every conceivable place, and many that were not, as the crew of the _Azure_ readied themselves for what lay ahead. Dream disappeared into his cabin for a few minutes, returning with a small arsenal which he dispersed amongst the three of them.

"I'm going aloft," he announced once they were armed. "I want to get a look at what we're facing before we get there."

"Don' stay up too long in this storm, Dream," Sapnap replied, grip tight on the helm as he fought to keep it steady. "It's not safe."

Dream shrugged. "Safe enough." A moment later he'd caught onto the rigging and was swiftly out of sight amongst the sails.

George watched a moment longer before restoring his attention to the swiftly-approaching storm. "You do this often?" he asked. "Rescue people from pirate ships, I mean?"

"When we can," Sapnap replied tensely. "Sometimes we only find the wreckage, like that last ship. But this time we may be able to get there in time. Dream's kinda funny 'bout tryin’ to save people. Never quite figured out why."

"Because he can," George said softly, after a moment. "Because others _can't_ , and he can."

Sapnap turned to regard him, then nodded once. "Yah, y'may have a point there," he acknowledged.

In a few minutes, Dream rejoined them, dropping down from above and landing in a slight crouch before straightening. "Can't hear it over the wind, but I can see cannon fire. They've found their prey."

Sapnap nodded. "Ours are loaded and waiting, Cap'n."

"I'm going to bring us up alongside them," Dream told him tersely. "We attack as soon as the ship is stopped."

"Right. Be careful, Clay."

"You too, Sap." Dream looked at George, smiling tensely. "Guess this is the ultimate test. Regretting coming aboard yet?" he asked.

George forced a smile past his anxiety. "Not a bit. It'll just be like a big bar fight with weapons. Nothing to worry about."

That surprised a laugh from Dream, who tousled his hair once again. "Good answer. Come on, we're almost there."

He followed Dream to where the man yanked a rope free from the myriad that crossed the ship, grinning as he tugged on it. "Half the ropes in the rigging are of absolutely no use whatsoever in the sailing of this ship," Dream explained. "They're solely for me to swing on."

George shook his head with a smile. "Has anyone ever told you you're insane?"

Dream grinned. "Daily. Brace yourself," he warned, then the ship slowed its forward momentum rather rapidly, bringing them up alongside two large ships that were engaged in a fierce fight. There were cannons firing and men engaged in swordplay on one of the ships, though the defendants were looking considerably overwhelmed.

"Here we go," Dream said, hooking his arm around George's waist and swinging them both over to the large merchant ship. Both selected an opponent before their feet even touched the planks, swords drawn in an instant.

It was nothing like a bar fight. The pirates, for the most part, knew exactly what they were doing with their weapons, and they were not drunk. However, the fact that they weren't drunk made their movements considerably easier to predict, as a drunk man often had the ability to surprise you in a fight by doing something completely illogical.

No, the biggest problem with the pirates was not their skill, it was how many there were and the fact that they appeared to be accustomed to working in teams. That was tricky. Fortunately, the crew of the _Azure_ had experience in thwarting pirates, and one by one the pirate crew began to fall to the deck.

It was pure stupidity on his part when he suddenly realized that there was someone behind him that was _not_ an ally. George cried out in surprise and pain as a blade slashed across his right thigh, barely bringing his own up in time to prevent more serious damage. Still, it burned fiercely and he staggered for a moment as the leg protested his weight.

Before he quite knew what was happening the pirate slashed out at him again and when he took a step back there was wood, then nothing. He dimly heard a voice cry out his name before hitting the water and going under.

Knowing how to swim and trying to do so when one leg just didn't want to work properly were two entirely different things, George realized his growing fear and dismay as his lungs began to burn with the need for air. His clothes were weighing him down, catching on the water, making it hard to move, hard to do anything.

He had a brief, irrational thought that perhaps this was why Clay dressed the way he did, then there was a shape in the water next to him. It looked rather like the Captain, except for the part beneath the sarong that looked like a fish's tail. Or something like that. He kept trying to blackout from the lack of air.

Then suddenly there were strong arms around him, hauling him upwards, and _air_ at last. George heaved in gulps of the sweet stuff, trying to ease the burn in his lungs that he had for a moment eclipsed the burn of the saltwater on his wounded leg. The slowly-dying storm had made the water choppy enough that he got a mouthful of seawater more than once and nearly choked.

A rope splashed down into the water nearby and an arm that did not belong to him grabbed hold of it, then he was flying through the air, hands were on him, voices speaking all at once. It was annoying. He tried to bat them away and someone caught his wrists.

"Hold still," a voice ordered, and he recognized it as Dream's. He sounded...worried.

George obeyed, holding still, simply savoring the sweet taste of air. Someone was touching his leg and it _hurt_ but his vision was blurring and he thought he heard Dream say something else before everything went dark.

  
He awoke in a luxuriously soft bed to a dull ache in his leg and an unfamiliar smell in the air. Gingerly he sat up, looking around the large cabin at the exotic furnishings, slowly realizing that this could only be the Captain's cabin. Dream's cabin.

Sure enough, when he twisted to look the other direction he spied the row of blue-green colored-glass windows that Sapnap liked to tease Dream about. George could see why. They had to have cost a small fortune.

Not that anything in the room was any less expensive. If the men who'd retired from the _Azure_ had been merely reasonably wealthy, the number of jewels and precious artifacts in Dream's cabin would have made a king drool.

A sound drew George's attention away from the decor and he looked up in time to see the cabin door open and Dream enter. The Captain brightened considerably upon seeing him watching and hurried over to sit on the bed next to him.

"You're awake," Dream greeted, looking him over carefully. "How do you feel?"

"My leg is sore but otherwise fine," George replied, testing various parts to make sure everything was working properly. "How long was I out?"

"About three days," Dream replied, looking somewhat chagrined. "I gave you something to speed the healing, but it also knocked you out for a while..."

"The pirates? The merchant vessel?" George persisted, even as his mind tried to come up with anything that would knock a man unconscious to heal him and came up blank.

"The pirates have been handed over to the authorities and the Captain of the merchant ship most generously rewarded our assistance," Dream answered. "With the exception of you and your rather spectacular plunge overboard, only minor casualties amongst the crew."

George raised an eyebrow. "Generously rewarded? Who tried to note that in the books, you or Sapnap, and how bad am I going to cringe when I see it?"

Dream laughed. "I did, and aside from my penmanship there should be not a single thing in there for you to cringe over."

"So you say," George teased, shifting his leg as a test and blinking when it didn't produce as much pain as he was anticipating. He lifted the bed coverings and peered underneath at the bandage wrapped around the injured leg. "Huh...I could have sworn that cut a lot deeper..." He frowned as bits of memory resurfaced. "It did cut deeper. A lot deeper. I've only been out three days?"

Beside him, Dream squirmed on the bed. "I told you, I gave you something to speed the healing."

"Clay, it would take a healer of the second-order or above to do that in as short a time, and I know there isn't one among the crew, nor do I think a simple merchant ship could afford to keep one aboard. As for some sort of concoction, it simply doesn't exist."

Dream blinked at the use of his first name which George did not seem to notice. Dream sighed, reaching out to halfheartedly tousle his hair. "It does," he argued softly, "It's just extremely rare and hard to come by. I always keep a vial or two on the ship just for reasons like this. If I hadn't had it, there was a very good chance you could have lost that leg."

George eyed him for a long moment, then leaned back and rolled his eyes. "I suppose that really shouldn't surprise me, this being the legendary _Azure_ and all, but nothing remotely like that is on the list of what the ship carries." He paused. "Neither is anything in this room, for that matter."

A faint smile touched Dream's lips. "No," he agreed, "My personal belongings are not listed."

"And a magical healing draught is a personal belonging?"

"Administered improperly, it can be fatal," Dream told him quietly, looking far too serious for the normally lighthearted man. "I will not take that risk."

George nodded. "Fair enough." He hesitated, eyes going to patterned sarong the man was wearing, a sudden suspicion upon his lips, fueled by a vague, half-remembered memory.

"Dream..."

"Hmm?"

"You went in after me, didn't you? Brought me back to the ship."

Dream nodded. "Yes. I saw you go over. I followed you in as soon as I could clear a path to the rail."

"Then..." George frowned in thought, closing his eyes briefly to summon up the brief, hazy glimpse he'd gotten. Had he really seen what he thought he had? "When I was under, I saw...well, I saw you, but it wasn't quite you..."

The blond man's face froze, both fear and pain in his eyes before his expression went carefully blank. "I...what did you think you saw?" he asked finally, cautiously, as though fearing the answer he got.

George hesitated, going over countless odd things he'd noticed about the man during his time on the ship, things that he hadn't ever been able to explain. Until now. "You're not human, are you?" he said at last. "You're one of Sapnap's mer-folk, or something like that."

Dream stood suddenly, turning away and going to the row of windows. He looked out through the colored glass, tension in every line of his trim body. George had never seen him look quite this way before; he didn't like it.

"Clay...?" he ventured.

"Yes," Dream said quietly, "I am. I left my home a long time ago to live above water. The _Azure_ is my home now." He turned, abject misery in his face as he regarded George. "Please don't take that from me..."

George blinked. "What?" he asked stupidly, unable to formulate a better response.

Dream came closer, remaining just out of reach. "The people of the western isles fear my kind as they fear nothing else," he explained, still speaking with such pain that even when his wound had been new George's seemed as nothing beside it. "I could not bear it if people were to fear _me_...Sapnap is of the western isles. He is...he has been my only real friend for many years. I do not want to lose that."

Suddenly everything made sense; George blinked, then scowled. "Come here. I don't bite. And I'm not going to tell anyone a secret that isn't mine to tell, so you can quit worrying. I happen to _like_ being on this ship, and it wouldn't be nearly the same experience without you swinging through the rigging in that ridiculous dress of yours. Though I suppose I can see now why you wear that."

Wide-eyed and looking considerably bewildered, Dream re-seated himself on his bed next to George. "Sarong," he corrected absently, the first beginnings of a smile starting to resurface in his eyes. "And yes, I can't swim in pants. I've tried."

George mirrored the smile, feeling both relieved and curious and something he couldn't quite name all at once. "I didn't mean to spook you," he admitted, "I just wanted confirmation that I hadn't been hallucinating."

Dream smiled and shook his head. "No, you weren't hallucinating."

"So does it only work in water?" George asked curiously. "Or does it work on land too?"

Dream laughed softly. "It works on land, but I can't stay that way for long above water because I can't breathe air in that form." He hesitated. "Did you want to see...?"

George shook his head. "Later. _In_ the water. Having had one intimate experience with not being able to breathe recently I am reluctant to inflict that particular torture upon anyone."

Again, Dream laughed, blue-green eyes sparkling with much of their usual humor. Blue-green. Azure. George blinked as he realized that Dream's eyes were the same color as much of the _Azure_. The color of the sea in the shallow channels between close islands.

When you knew what to look for, there was so much of the sea in him. It was in his eyes, in the way he moved, the way his _hair_ rippled in a breeze like waves upon the water. George wondered why he hadn't noticed sooner.

"I believe I had best get back above deck," Dream said reluctantly, rising, "Or Sapnap will come looking for me. You should rest and recover your strength."

George arched a brow. "So how long am I going to be confined to bed, oh my mighty Captain?" he inquired dryly.

"Until this Captain says otherwise," Dream announced, grinning. "Which should only be a day or two, then you'll be back on your feet with nothing but an odd scar to show for your adventure."

George mirrored the grin. "Just keep Sapnap away from my books until then."

Dream laughed.

* * *

They put into port about a week later at a small island George had only barely heard of, partially to restock but mostly because Dream liked the water there. George watched him dive in, smiling as the man vanished beneath the sea, then set about removing as much of his clothing as possible.

"Eh? What're you doing?" Sapnap asked, being one of the few people who hadn't opted to go ashore for some downtime.

George grinned. "Going swimming?"

Sapnap groaned. "Oh no, not you too. I swear y'all are touched in the head."

"Probably," George agreed, stripping down to his undershorts before diving in. They were far enough south that the water was pleasant, not too warm or cold, and the coral on the bottom made for fascinating patterns of color.

None of that, though, was what he was interested in. George kicked along lazily, ending up back near the stern of the ship before a fleeting touch slid along the scar on his leg, vanishing moments before Dream surfaced.

George grinned. "You keep checking on it. There's nothing to check on. It's fine now," he told the man. "It's not even stiff anymore."

Dream brushed the water out of his eyes and smirked. "I am the one with the medical knowledge. If I say it needs to be checked, I get to check it."

With a snort, George splashed a bit of water his way. "You’re such an idiot."

Dream grinned. "Yes." He swam a lazy circle around George, glancing up at the ship briefly before bringing the tail end of his fin up to flick water back at the dark-haired man.

"That is incredible," George told him, reaching out to run a hand lightly along the smooth scales before ducking under the water to get the full effect.

It was both Clay Dream, and it wasn't. Clay's hair floated in the water around him like a golden cloud rather than cascading down his back in familiar waves. His face seemed narrower, slightly more angular, and his eyes were bigger. There weren't too many differences between neck and waist aside from what George was fairly certain were gills on the sides of Dream's neck and torso, but just where the man's sarong began he could see part of a small, translucent fin and a scattering of scales. Emerging from beneath the hem of the fabric was the fishtail ahead he'd seen before, glittering as the light refracted off the gleaming scales.

George almost laughed as something occurred to him, surfacing to catch his breath before he accidentally swallowed water.

"It matches your eyes!" he managed, after recovering from the bout of laughter. "Both your tail and the ship match your eyes! Did you do that on purpose?"

Dream smiled sheepishly. "Maybe a little..." he admitted. "The ship anyway. The rest...is just me."

"It's a pretty color," George told him, shifting closer so he could get a better look at the row of gills on Dream's neck. Obligingly Dream held his hair back out of the way and George blinked.

"Your hands are webbed too," he observed.

"It is easier to swim that way, yes," Dream laughed.

"I'm glad I'm not a westerner," George announced, prodding curiously at the double points of Dream's ear that he could see poking out from beneath dripping strands of hair.

Dream smiled, somewhat shyly. "I'm glad you're not a westerner as well, George."

They contemplated one another for several moments before a faint flush began to slowly spread across George's cheeks. He drew in a deep breath.

"I have to ask a really important question," he began. "When you were teasing Sapnap and me about the sarong and your bits...do you...that is, your...bits...are they..."

Dream laughed, shoulders shaking in his mirth. "Pretty much identical to yours, I would imagine," he managed between chuckles. "They only change when I'm in this shape."

George smiled sheepishly, swimming a bit closer. "Oh good," he said. "I was a little worried..."

Reaching out, he tucked one hand behind Dream's head and the other around his waist, pulling the blond close before tipping his head to capture those enticing lips. There was a brief moment in which he could _feel_ Dream's surprise, then he was being kissed back enthusiastically, hands tracing across his skin as something he was fairly certain was Dream's tail curved around his legs.

They broke apart, both flushed, and George jerked ahead toward the ship. "You done swimming?" he asked breathlessly.

Clay smiled. "Oh yes," he breathed.

**Author's Note:**

> 13-year-old me is squealing right now. Anyways. Follow the INCREDIBLE artist [@flowinlikeariv](https://twitter.com/flowinlikeariv) on twitter!  
> ([the art](https://twitter.com/flowinlikeariv/status/1363370464534401029))
> 
> I absolutely loved writing it and I would love to hear your thoughts on the story :D
> 
> As always, criticism and suggestions are welcome!
> 
>   
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/OverTheJune)  
> [tumblr](https://khusharma.tumblr.com)


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